Modern integrated poultry operations are expansive, with the total industry producing an estimated 9.1 billion broilers in 2007. In modern broiler production operations, up to 25,000 birds are housed in one facility and vaccinating this large number of birds is a time consuming and labor intensive process. Currently vaccines are commonly administered through a manual blower-spray process or the vaccines are mixed into drinking water and then made available to the poultry.
In accordance with the manual blower-spray vaccination process, a liquid form of the vaccine is directed into a conventional “leaf blower”-type portable mechanism so that the vaccine is entrained in the blower discharge air. As an operator moves about in a poultry pen, the operator directs the blower (with entrained vaccine) towards the poultry and attempts to ensure that all of the birds are exposed to the vaccine.
However, the manual blower-spray process results in inconsistent and essentially random application of the sprayed vaccine. Further, the process is time consuming and unpleasant for the spray operator and the poultry. The blower causes dust and feces to be at least temporarily suspended in the air and the noise disturbs and stresses the poultry.
In accordance with the drinking water vaccine administration process, water is withheld from the poultry for a short time, and then when the drinking water is restored, the water contains the vaccine. However, many of the vaccines do not readily lend themselves to uniformly dissolving in large quantities water and the dilution of the vaccine means that greater quantities are required to vaccinate a selected number of birds. Further, the nipples in the drinking lines are commonly worn, leaky, and somewhat inefficient so that significant quantities of the solution simply drip onto the pen floor.
There are also biological concerns associated with the drinking water vaccine administration process. Orally applied vaccines are absorbed through the stomach lining and may become mixed with other stomach contents. Consequently, orally applied vaccines are generally less reliable and require the ingestion of greater quantities of the vaccine to ensure successful vaccination.
An improved method and system of vaccinating poultry would facilitate faster vaccination, reduce labor costs, improve bird health through uniform application, and reduce production losses. The current invention comprises an automated spray-type vaccine system that allows the vaccine to be absorbed but does not significantly disturb the birds or require an operator to physically enter the poultry pen during the vaccination process.